CheckMate
by xrowa-chanx
Summary: For 13 cycles the Pawns of Cosmos were used again and again until they could be used no longer, fighting to prevent a checkmate that was never going to occur in the first place. Because, sometimes, not all Kings and Queens are true to their word. ON HIATUS.
1. Prologue

**Hey there :'3 I'm not really supposed to be writing right now, 'cause my exams are in a month or two and I really should be concentrating on my revision and my current DGM fic, however - I recently read a fanfic on here called The Messenger, and it's rekindled my love for Dissidia :L I've had this fic planned for ages, so it's nice to finally start writing it.**

**Read, review, and enjoy ~**

**Summary: For 13 cycles the Pawns of Cosmos were used again and again until they could be used no longer, fighting to prevent a checkmate that was never going to occur in the first place. Because, sometimes, not all Kings and Queens are true to their word. (Re-write of cycles 5-13)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Dissidia: Final Fantasy - Square Enix does.**

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Prologue

War - the oldest of human practices. Be it to save someone you love, to stop your home from being destroyed, for no reason whatsoever or to conquer and pillage, humans have always waged war against other humans and evil creatures.

_My name is the Onion Knight._

Peace is always fleeting - relationships between towns and villages deteriorating due to one place being more prosperous than the other and jealousy over what one person has and what they themselves do not.

_It isn't my real name - I can't remember what that is... Or much else to be honest..._

It would seem ridiculous to fight over things as petty as crops and money but there is one thing that is true for all human beings - they need to fight. It's in their blood.

_I've been fighting for as long as I can remember. Endless battle after battle... It gets really tiring after a while..._

No matter how shy and meek you are, the desire to fight and to hurt is always there and it can't be denied.

_Sometimes I wish I could just stop and take it easy._

Peace leads to unrest.

_But I have to keep going, no matter what._

Unrest leads to war.

_Because Chaos needs to be defeated so we can all go home. Cosmos said so._

War leads to fighting.

_And I know I'm not as strong as the Warrior of Light or Jecht, or as nice as Yuna and Garnet, or as free spirited as Bartz, or as kind as Hope, or as cool as Noctis, or as determined as Maria._

And fighting eventually brings peace.

_But I can fight, and I won't drag the others down! Because... Cosmos needs us to help her, and I trust her. A Knight's gotta help a lady in need, right?_

Thus, the cycle starts anew.

_I'm sure we'll win eventually... I mean, that's why we're here. Why else would we be fighting?_

The end of one thing...

_There has to be a reason why we're here._

... the beginning of another.

_There has to be._

Or at least that's how things are meant to be.


	2. Cycle V: A New Addition

**Since the prologue is so short, I'm uploading this at the same time ;3 Enjoy ~**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Dissidia: Final Fantasy - Square Enix does.**

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Chapter 1 - Cycle V: A New Addition

It was beautiful.

Hot warm rays of sunlight enshrouded everything they touched, like the Gods of the sky were smiling down at the Earth below. A soft breeze ruffled the leaves of a nearby tree, causing a few leaves to fall downwards with the slow grace of a dancer and rest upon the ground with a minute rustle against grass. And, though a huge tower nearby cast a meanacingly black shadow on the otherwise emerald green grass around it, the whole area was rather peaceful.

Suddenly, a flash of light.

Lying on his back on the grassy floor was a boy barely above the age of 14, dressed in armour. His silver hair seemed almost white in colour as the sun bore down on him, the blue helmet plumed with feathers lying beside his head catching the light beautifully. A sword loosely held in the boy's right hand also caught the light, though it did not seem to have the same aura of beauty as the helmet; its purpose dulled the effect of the sun.

Just as a gust of wind blew a strand of hair across the boy's face, his features screwed up and, with a groan, his eyes opened.

Violet eyes flecked with darker shades of purple gazed hazily around, narrowing as the sun came out from behind a cloud and became piercingly bright. Shading his eyes with his free hand, the boy tentatively picked up his helmet and stood up, looking around with growing confusion.

He had no idea where he was.

In fact, the boy couldn't remember much of anything.

As this dawned on him, the boy looked down at the sword in his hand and frowned, scouring his brain for any indication of his identity and his location.

Nothing.

His mind was a blank canvas, devoid of any memory or recollection of the past. This frightened the boy, his heart beginning to thump wildly in his chest, his breathing becoming more rapid. Looking back down at the weapon he held, the boy suddenly wished it would go away - the blade called to him, wanting blood upon its metal and the thrill of inflicting hurt on another.

Then, with a flash, his weapon disappeared.

"Huh?"

The silver haired boy blinked in surprise, clenching and unclenching his hand as if to check that his sword had just disappeared into thin air. Strangely enough, he could almost sense its presence - it was still there, simply ceasing to be a material object. The boy sighed.

Suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps.

The boy whirled around, eyes wide. He now rather wished his blade was still in his hand.

"Hey there! Are you another Warrior of Cosmos?"

Standing a few metres away was a young brunette man, a friendly smile gracing his features. He was dressed in a light coloured top and leggings, the wind making his cape dance about around his legs. The man seemed weaponless so the boy lowered his guard, narrowing his eyes.

"Who's Cosmos?"

This question made the smile falter on the brunette's face.

"You... you don't know who Cosmos is yet?" he asked, tilting his head and frowning. The silver haired boy shook his head.

"I don't even know who I am, to be honest..." the boy admitted, looking down at the grass beneath his feet. Then, stepping forwards, the boy met the gaze of the older man.

"Who are you? What is this place?" the boy demanded, gesturing towards the tower a dozen or so metres away from where they stood. "Who's Cosmos? How come I can make a sword disappear? Why does th-"

"Woah, let's just take it easy now!" the brunette cried, raising his hands before him. "One thing at a time. My name is Bartz. Nice to meetcha!"

Bartz stuck out his hand and smiled warmly, brown eyes glinting with a free spirit that made the young boy smile slightly also. The boy shook the brunette's hand.

"I would tell you my name, but I have no idea what it is..."

"Ahh don't worry, I know a guy who can't remember his name either! But we've gotta call you something..."

"We?"

"Yeah! Me and the other Warriors of Cosmos!"

The boy frowned in confusion.

"Ahh I'll explain along the way to Sanctuary; it won't take us long to get there, since we're only in the Melmond Fens anyway..." Bartz explained, looking thoughtful. Then, with a grin, Bartz suddenly grabbed the boy's hand and started to run, laughing at the younger male's bewildered expression.

"W-wait a minute!" the boy stammered, trying not to trip over his own feet. "Where are we going? Y-you're heading straight for a wall!"

"I know!" Bartz replied, grinning obliviously.

The silver haired boy yelped as the two of them ran straight into the wall, wincing and expecting to be thrown backwards onto the grass. So, when he suddenly found himself standing on a small flat rock floating amongst several others above a stormy abyss, you can imagine his utter shock and confusion.

"What the ? !"

"Haha it's cool, right?" Bartz said with amusement, leaping forwards onto a nearby rock and smiling. "Gateways will never cease to entertain me."

The silver haired boy simply blinked and tried not to think of anything whatsoever.

Not wanting to be left behind as his brunette counterpart started to head towards a weird red insignia a few rocks away, the young boy jumped and gracefully made his way forwards, gripping his helmet with a hand. Soon enough he was standing beside Bartz, the red glow from the insignia illuminating their features.

"You ready kiddo?" Bartz asked, turning around and placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. The boy simply gave him an incredulous look.

Laughing, Bartz turned back around and touched the red object before him. Suddenly everything faded away, a pitch black darkness enshrouding the both of them. For a few seconds the boy swore his heart stopped as panic began to form within him. Then, with a shattering sound, he found himself standing outside before a large stone gateway, surrounded on all sides by grass. Looking around with wide eyes, the boy noticed that they were in an alcove of sorts, large rocks forming a wall around them. It was windy, and the boy swore he felt a few drops of rain against his skin.

"Where... where are we? What's going on?" the boy asked, voice quiet and subdued. He turned towards Bartz, clenching his fists. The brunette smiled sympathetically.

"It'll all get explained to you soon enough, don't worry," Bartz replied. "Just... follow me and wait til we get to Sanctuary, 'kay?"

The boy nodded.

So, staying close to Bartz's side, the boy followed the brunette man as he walked through the grass towards a nearby stone gateway and headed through it. The sound of soft laps of water against stone made the boy turn his head. To their left was a sea that stretched for miles out into the distance, the dark stormy sky making it appear to be a dull teal in colour. Weirdly enough, the sky was different in different directions; the sky was a deep red to the north, a light grey to the east, a deep blue-black to the south, and a black colour to the west.

"Keep up! Don't wanna get lost here - trust me," Bartz called out, waiting for the boy to catch up to him.

The two of them headed northwards, following a muddy pathway through the patches of grass and outcrops of stone. Eventually they passed through another two gateways and, upon walking through the second, the boy felt an immediate change in atmosphere. It felt safer almost, though the boy couldn't explain why that was so.

"We're in the Cornelia Plains now," Bartz explained, smiling. "And that tall white tower there is Sanctuary."

The boy followed Bartz's line of vision and gawped at the fluorescing structure standing in the water a couple of hundred metres away.

"It's huge!"

Heading towards it with Bartz by his side, the boy followed the stone pathway and soon found himself standing on the shoreline before the tower.

"How do we get to it?" the boy asked, looking down at the expanse of water between the shore and the tower. Bartz smiled and grabbed the boy by the hand, taking a step forwards into the water.

In the blink of an eye the surroundings changed.

The two of them were now standing in a large area of water, floating instead of sinking into the watery depths below them. Weird tendrils of green light, that were almost like bridges from one side of the water to the other, made the whole area seem to glow slightly. Situated in the middle of the water was a throne of sorts, made of a white stone.

Sitting upon it was a woman.

She had long blonde hair that flowed like a golden river down her back, her blue eyes piercing and as cold as ice. The woman was wearing a white dress decorated with gold that trailed on the floor slightly as she stood up to greet them, the water around her feet fanning out in circles as she took a few steps forward.

"Is this our newest warrior, Bartz?" the woman asked, her tone of voice almost melancholy.

"Yep! I told you I'd find him, Cosmos!" the brunette replied, grinning. "He was in a gateway in the Melmond Fens."

Bartz then started filling Cosmos in on his recent battles, leaving the silver haired boy to simply stand in ponderous thought. The boy observed the woman before him scrutinously, noticing how she showed little to no emotion as Bartz cheerfully told her of his exploits and the monsters he had defeated. The boy also noticed the respect in Bartz's eyes, and the way he smiled and beamed proudly when Cosmos said that he had done well.

"And that's when I found this little guy!" Bartz said, patting the boy beside him on the head and ignoring his pout of protest. "He can't remember anything though, not even his name! Is that normal, Cosmos? I mean, Warrior of Light doesn't..."

"He is the Onion Knight," Cosmos replied instantly, meeting the boy's eyes for the first time. In that one instant the boy felt both more important than the greatest of kings, and as miniscule and unworthy as the tiniest ant. And, as the goddess before him said 'Onion Knight', the boy felt a rush of familiarity; yes, that _was_ the title he went by. The boy smiled a little.

"Onion Knight?" Bartz echoed, frowning. "Huh... what a weird name..."

"It's a title, not a name," the boy said, acting as if he'd known it all along.

Bartz simply chuckled in reply.

"Bartz, go and get the others, if you will," Cosmos asked, sitting back down on her throne. "I will explain things to this young warrior here."

"Sure thing!" Bartz said with a grin, giving the woman a mock salute. "See ya soon, Cosmos! You too, Onion!"

"I'm not an onion!" the boy replied, glaring as the brunette laughed and ran off. He then turned back towards Cosmos, suddenly feeling rather awkward.

"You have a lot of questions, do you not?" Cosmos asked, her voice gentle. "Ask them, and I will provide the answers you need."

So the young Knight asked his questions. And Cosmos answered them all... apart from one:

_Why can't I remember anything?_

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"So... we've got another new guy?"

"Yep! He seems like a nice kid, but he sure could lighten up a little. And he has the weirdest title ever, that's for sure."

"Anyone in your company would need to lighten up."

"Oi Maria, that's harsh!"

"She's got a point."

"Thanks Noct. Thanks for backing me up."

"You're welcome."

"... I was being sarcastic."

"So was I."

"Oh be silent you two! We should be happy about our new arrival."

"As you command, Your Highness."

"Bartz... how many times do I have to tell you to call me Garnet?"

"Hehe, sorry."

The 8 of them fell silent for a while, lost in their own thoughts as they headed back to Sanctuary at a leisurely pace. With Bartz taking the lead, simply because the others walked too slowly in his opinion, the brunette practically skipped along the pathway, humming contentedly. Hope, Yuna and Jecht, who were following close behind, shared a look then sighed; Bartz was simply acting like his usual self. Maria and Garnet walked behind the four in front of them, both rolling their eyes slightly at Bartz's childish countenance yet smiling at the same time. Noctis and Warrior of Light, who were bringing up the rear, showed no emotion as they walked, stoicly observing their surroundings and wondering what good a child would do for the war effort.

They were the Warriors of Cosmos, the Goddess of Harmony. They were her chosen. They had fought in a great many battles already, despite the fact that the war had barely started. But they were all strong, and determined to win against their enemy; Chaos, the God of Discord.

Because it was the only way they would ever get back to their homeworlds.

Eventually the group made it back to Sanctuary, all but Bartz and Hope raising their eybrows at the new addition to their ranks; Hope was just glad he wasn't going to be teased about being the youngest warrior now.

Silently, the 8 warriors walked forwards over the still waters that Cosmos' abode was composed of and stood before the blonde Goddess. Cosmos nodded her head.

"There are now 9 warriors that I have chosen to fight for our cause," she murmured, meeting the eyes of the people in front of her before continuing. "I hope that you will all accept this new warrior and guide him as you were guided when you first arrived here, and continue in your endeavours to defeat Chaos and his warriors."

"We will do our utmost to fulfill your wishes, Cosmos," Warrior of Light replied ernestly, placing a hand over his heart, his chest plate cold against his gloved fingers. The others nodded in agreement.

"Go now," Cosmos murmured, closing her eyes. "The war must go on."

Not needing any further instruction, the warriors turned around and walked away. Onion Knight, albeit nervous and a little confused as to what was supposed to happen now, followed closely behind the others and stepped through the invisible crossing point that brought them all to the world outside. When everyone had left Cosmos' throne 'room', Warrior of Light turned to face the others.

"We must organise ourselves accordingly now, comrades," the man said authoritively, looking everyone in the eye as he spoke.

"Well... since the new kid doesn't have anyone to go with, I'll go with him," Hope offered, giving Onion Knight a friendly smile.

"So we're gonna pair up the two youngest brats and let them go off to fight? Pah, you'll be dead within a day," Jecht said with a snort, stabbing his sword in the ground and rolling his shoulders a little.

"Hey, just 'cause we're young doesn't mean we can't fight! We'll probably last longer than you, old man!" Hope exclaimed, scowling and folding his arms. "Being small has its advantages."

"I'm not so sure it's a good idea either though," Yuna murmured quietly, giving Hope an apologetic smile as the silver haired teen's face fell. "A more experienced fighter should accompany him. At least for now."

For a while everyone was silent. Then, sighing, Noctis stepped forward.

"I'll keep an eye on him," the dark haired man said, giving Onion Knight a small nod of acknowledgement. The others all raised their eyebrows.

"... Huh? Who are you and what have you done with Noct?" Bartz exclaimed, surprised. "You're seriously gonna babysit the Onion? Who's gonna be my travelling buddy?"

"I've been travelling with you too," Hope grumbled, pouting a little. Bartz gave the teen a sheepish grin.

"Sorry... But Noct is much cooler."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Aww c'mon, his eyes can go red! Red!"

"... And?"

"That's so cool!"

"... Seriously Bartz? You think Noctis is cool because his eyes change colour?"

"Well... yeah!"

"How stupid are y-"

"Stop fighting this instant!"

Both Bartz and Hope froze. They smiled nervously as Maria cracked her knuckles and glared at them both.

"Noct said he wants to take care of the kid. So let him," Maria said, folding her arms. "Stop being so childish."

"So, it is decided. Noctis will accompany the Onion Knight," Warrior of Light stated, nodding in agreement. "Let us set off then."

So, without further ado, Warrior of Light strode off on his own, leaving the others to go their own ways. Garnet and Maria, after bidding the others farewell and warning Bartz and Hope to behave, left in the direction of the Gulg Volcano region. Jecht and Yuna set off towards the Melmond Fens, and Bartz and Hope headed towards the Elven Snowfields. Soon enough, only Noctis and Onion Knight were left.

"Shall we set off?" Noctis asked, looking down at the silver haired boy beside him with calm blue eyes. Onion Knight nodded, albeit nervously. There was silence for a while. Then -

"... Hey, can I call you Noct too?"

"... No."

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"This is so damn tedious."

The sound of sword striking stone echoed around the cavern, setting Leon's teeth on edge.

"Oh would you shut it! We're just gonna have to wait, whether you like it or not," the man muttered through gritted teeth.

"Don't treat me like I'm stupid!"

"I'm not. Calm down, Faris."

"Don't tell me to calm down! We've been waiting here for fucking hours, and no-one's showed up."

"We just have to be patient."

"Patience doesn't exist for pirates like me."

"... Right..."

"Don't mock me, or so help me I'll -"

"Now now children, let's save the fighting for the pawns of Cosmos, hmm?"

Both Faris and Leon turned. Suddenly standing a few feet away, the weak light glinting off of his gold armour, was the Emperor. Leon's face darkened, making the armoured man smirk; some grudges never fade with time.

"Though this in-fighting is delightful. I would so enjoy sending them to the Void," Cloud of Darkness purred, eyes glinting maliciously as it floated to be by the Emperor's side. A snort of laughter made the woman-esque being turn, its expression turning murderous.

"Your Void is nothing but an imitation," Exdeath said mockingly, its voice muffled by the armour it wore. Cloud of Darkness hissed, its tentacles snapping their jaws and reaching for the armour-clad Warrior from where it stood by a nearby pillar. Suddenly, a rather large sword separated the two of them.

"We are here to plan, not fight. Stop acting like imbeciles."

Standing a few feet away, armour-clad and giving off an authorative air, was Garland. Both Cloud of Darkness and Exdeath fell silent, albeit reluctantly.

"Planning sch-manning, let's just destroy them all already!" Kefka, who had just appeared from behind Faris, cried. He gave the female pirate a grin as she gave him a disgusted look. Garland shook his head.

"The pawns of Cosmos must become worthy enough of being destroyed, not that you would remember yet. We have our side of the bargain, as does Cosmos," Garland explained, voice contemptuous. "So hold your tongue, you bothersome clown."

Though continuing to smirk and hum to himself, Kefka said no more; arguing with Garland would be a waste of his time, which he needed for more important things. Like destroying. And destroying more. And bullying the other Warriors of Chaos. But most of all destroying.

"So what is this great plan, oh wise and knowledgeable Garland?" Faris asked sarcastically, folding her arms. "Shall it bring us wonderous riches and fame beyond our wilde-"

"Know your place, woman," Garland snapped, fingering the handle of his sword. "I would gut you here and now, but you are needed. You could not defeat your respective enemy if you were dead."

"'Respective enemy'?" Leon echoed, raising an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"All in due course," Garland replied, chuckling a little. "The pawns of Cosmos won't know what's hit them."

"Until it's far too late, of course," the Emperor added, smirking.

Everyone but Garland and the Emperor blinked, not knowing what on Gaia they were talking about. The pair of them turned to address the others, noticing their confusion.

"Our new aim is to kill each member of the warriors of Cosmos, one by one," Garland explained, noting how a sadistic gleam had entered the eyes of his fellow warriors of Chaos.

"And who is our first target?" Faris asked, voice laced with killer intent and curiousity. Garland smirked.

"We shall start with the two who do not share a homeworld with any of us. And they shall know no mercy."

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**Well, that's chapter 1. Please tell me your criticisms and praises, if any ^^" Look forward to chapter 2 everyone ~**


	3. Update

Hey guys ~

I'm really sorry, but I can't update so many stories all at once ;n; I took on too much, stupidly, and now I have too many stories to write all at the same time T~T So I have decided to put three of my fics on hiatus; **Homeostasis**, **Snapshots Of The Heart**, and **CheckMate**.

I'm gonna concentrate on my other two for now, but I will definitely come back to the other ones! **What Makes Us Human** won't be too long, so I will go back to **Homeostasis** first, most likely. **Prophecy : Shin** won't be finished for ages, however XD

Sorry again! I just want to be able to update quick enough when I go back to school, and updating five fics when I'm at school will be nearly impossible XD

Much love,

xrowa-chanx


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